The termination of wires, and in particular small gauge wires, has presented numerous difficulties because of the fineness and inherent frailties of such wires. Very small gauge wires used in devices such as appliance timers, clock motors and other electrical devices have a wire size on the order of number 34 gauge to number 18 gauge have been particularly difficult to effectively terminate. Many of these devices use printed circuit boards (PCBs) in control and power electrical systems, and the termination of wires to PCBs and/or other electrical terminals in these devices is an increasingly important issue.
Up to this time, wires have been terminated to printed circuit boards (PCBs) by soldering or by the use of a secondary connector interface. For example, magnet wires have been connected to PCB's having insulation displacement slots by electrical terminals. One such terminal is the MAG-MATE™ produced by Tyco Electronics Corporation of Wilmington, Del. The terminals have two insulation displacement slots which cut thought the tough outer varnish coating on the magnet wire providing a good electrical connection to the magnet wire. The MAG-MATE™ terminal may either then have a leaf spring contact to electrically connect with a mating terminal mounted on the PCB, or alternatively, may have an integral tabs contact extending in the opposite direction for electrically connecting with a receptacle terminal on the PCB. These terminals are typically terminated to the magnet wire by a machine that inserts the terminal into the housing, terminates the wire to the terminal, and cuts off excess wire that extends beyond the face of the housing.
However, no terminal or connection system has been developed that provides a simple termination of a wire, and in particular, a fine wire or a magnet wire, directly to a printed circuit board (PCB) by a single terminal. Furthermore, no terminal or connection system has been disclosed that allows a direct connection of a fine wire, and in particular a magnet wire, to a PCB without first fixing, by soldering or other similar method, a mating connector to the PCB surface. Therefore, there is a need for a terminal and terminal connection system that can directly connect a wire, and in particular a fine wire or magnet wire, to a PCB without first fixing a mating connector to the PCB surface.